ABSTRACT
Today, one of the most appreciated essential oils (EO) used in phytotherapy and real aromatherapy as well as in esoteric alternative treatments, is the EO of lavender. Its popularity stems not only from the well known, fresh and pleasant floral-woody-herbaceous fragrance, but still more on account of its therapeutic properties for which this EO has been used in folk medicine since ancient times. The present review covers the literature on the biological – mainly therapeutic – properties of lavender, lavender oil, linalool, linalyl acetate and Lavandula angustifolia found in various databases, for example, MEDLINE®, from 1960 till 1999.
